# US 2021/0243544 A1 · Surround Sound Location Virtualization > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243544 A1 - Document ID: US20210243544A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/777,404 - Filed: 2020-01-30 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-30 - Assignees: Bose Corporation - Applicants: Bose Corporation - Inventors: James Tracey; Guy Torio - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243544A1 ## CPC - H04S 3/004: {For headphones} - H04S 7/304: {For headphones} - H04R 3/12: for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04R 5/02: Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers - H04R 5/033: Headphones for stereophonic communication {(details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10)} - H04R 5/04: Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} - H04S 3/008: {in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels (data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02)} - H04R 1/1008: {Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type} - H04S 2400/01: Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved - H04S 2400/05: Generation or adaptation of centre channel in multi-channel audio systems - H04S 2400/11: Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field (H04S2420/13 takes precedence) - H04S 2420/01: Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD] - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract A computer program product having a non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon that, when performed on a surround sound audio system that is configured to render left front, right front, and center front audio signals, and also render left and right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signals, causes the surround sound audio system to develop the left and right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signals, and provide the left near-field binaurally-encoded audio signal to a left non-occluding near-field driver and provide the right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signal to a right non-occluding near-field driver. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer program product having a non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program logic encoded thereon that, when performed on a surround sound audio system that is configured to render left front, right front, and center front audio signals, and also render left and right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signals, causes the surround sound audio system to: develop the left and right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signals; and provide the left near-field binaurally-encoded audio signal to a left non-occluding near-field driver and provide the right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signal to a right non-occluding near-field driver. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the left and right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signals are developed from a combination of front left height, front right height, back left height, and back right height audio tracks. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the surround sound audio system further comprises a soundbar comprising at least two distinct drivers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the computer program product further causes the surround sound audio system to provide the left and right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signals to at least one of the at least two distinct drivers of the soundbar. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the computer program product further causes the surround sound audio system to accomplish cross-talk cancellation on the left and right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signals before the signals are provided to at least one of the at least two distinct drivers of the soundbar. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The computer program product of claim 3, wherein front left audio tracks, front right audio tracks, center audio tracks, left surround audio tracks, and right surround audio tracks are provided to at least one of the at least two distinct drivers of the soundbar. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the left non-occluding near-field driver is part of a first open-audio device that is configured to be worn such that the left non-occluding near-field driver is proximate but not in the left ear canal of a wearer of the first open-audio device, and the right non-occluding near-field driver is part of a second open-audio device that is configured to be worn such that the right non-occluding near-field driver is proximate but not in the right ear canal of a wearer of the second open-audio device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first and second open-audio devices each comprise a housing, an acoustic radiator in the housing, a sound-emitting opening in the housing, and a support structure that is configured to carry the housing on a user's head such that the housing is held proximate an ear of the user with the sound-emitting opening anterior of and proximate the tragus of the ear. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the first open-audio device comprises a left temple piece of audio eyeglasses and the second open-audio device comprises a right temple piece of the audio eyeglasses. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer program product further causes the left near-field binaurally-encoded audio signal to be wirelessly provided to the left non-occluding near-field driver and the right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signal to be wirelessly provided to the right non-occluding near-field driver. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the left and right non-occluding near-field drivers are located within one meter of an optimal listening area of the surround sound audio system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the left non-occluding near-field driver is located such that a ratio of sound pressure from the left non-occluding near-field driver to sound pressure from other sound sources, including the right non-occluding near-field driver, at a left ear of a listener is at least 15 dB, and wherein the right non-occluding near-field driver is located such that a ratio of sound pressure from the right non-occluding near-field driver to sound pressure from other sound sources, including the left non-occluding near-field driver, at a right ear of a listener is at least 15 dB. ### Claim 13 A surround sound audio system, comprising: multiple drivers configured to reproduce front left, front right, and front center audio signals; left and right non-occluding near-field drivers; and a processor that develops left and right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signals and is configured to provide the left near-field binaurally-encoded audio signal to the left non-occluding near-field driver and provide the right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signal to the right non-occluding near-field driver. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The surround sound audio system of claim 13, wherein the left and right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signals are developed from a combination of front left height, front right height, back left height, and back right height audio tracks. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The surround sound audio system of claim 13, wherein the multiple drivers are part of a soundbar. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The surround sound audio system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the left and right binaurally-encoded audio signals to at least one of the multiple drivers of the soundbar. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The surround sound audio system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to accomplish cross-talk cancellation on the left and right binaurally-encoded near-field audio signals before the signals are provided to at least one of the multiple drivers of the soundbar. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The surround sound audio system of claim 15, wherein front left audio tracks, front right audio tracks, center audio tracks, left surround audio tracks, and right surround audio tracks are provided to at least one of the multiple drivers of the soundbar. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The surround sound audio system of claim 13, wherein the left non-occluding near-field driver is part of a first open-audio device that is configured to be worn such that the left non-occluding near-field driver is proximate but not in the left ear canal of a wearer of the first open-audio device, and the right non-occluding near-field driver is part of a second open-audio device that is configured to be worn such that the right non-occluding near-field driver is proximate but not in the right ear canal of a wearer of the second open-audio device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The surround sound audio system of claim 19, wherein the first and second open-audio devices each comprise a housing, an acoustic radiator in the housing, a sound-emitting opening in the housing, and a support structure that is configured to carry the housing on a user's head such that the housing is held proximate an ear of the user with the sound-emitting opening anterior of and proximate the tragus of the ear. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The surround sound audio system of claim 19, wherein the first open-audio device comprises a left temple piece of audio eyeglasses and the second open-audio device comprises a right temple piece of the audio eyeglasses. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The surround sound audio system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the left near-field binaurally-encoded audio signal to be wirelessly provided to the left non-occluding near-field driver and the right near-field binaurally-encoded audio signal to be wirelessly provided to the right non-occluding near-field driver. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The surround sound audio system of claim 13, wherein the left and right non-occluding near-field drivers are located within one meter of an optimal listening area of the surround sound audio system. ### Claim 24 (depends on 13) The surround sound audio system of claim 13, wherein the left non-occluding near-field driver is located such that a ratio of sound pressure from the left non-occluding near-field driver to sound pressure from other sound sources, including the right non-occluding near-field driver, at a left ear of a listener is at least 15 dB, and wherein the right non-occluding near-field driver is located such that a ratio of sound pressure from the right non-occluding near-field driver to sound pressure from other sound sources, including the left non-occluding near-field driver, at a right ear of a listener is at least 15 dB.